Chapter 67.1: Murdering One’s Own Husband
The little bit of gratefulness birthed towards Nalan Ye, disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Luo Qing Luan frowned, and replied a bit indignantly, “Nalan Ye, I’m grateful that you’ve saved me, but I really should return home. Otherwise, my father will be worried.”
“Your father?” Nalan Ye continued dully, “Miss Luo, what your life has been like at the General’s Mansion for the past ten plus years is something we’re both well aware of. Your father simply won’t care about you. Even if you don’t go home for a lifetime, he still wouldn’t mind.”
Luo Qing Luan was just about to get angry, when she heard Nalan Ye raise his hand and continue speaking. “What’s more, your father thought that you’ve been retained by the empress. He is eager for you not to come home. I reckon, very possibly, he’s even hoping that it’s best if you always stayed in the palace, and that you might as well turn raw rice into cooked rice* with the crown prince……”
*TN: Turn raw rice into cooked rice is a common saying in Chinese usually referring to something that’s been done and can not be changed. For example, a couple having done the act and could no longer avoid getting married.)
“Nalan Ye, you shut up!” She couldn’t stand it anymore. Luo Qing Luan raise her hand and pushed him. “Get out of the way, I want to go home!”
Not only did he not yield, Nalan Ye stood firm instead. His gigantic body directly blocked most of the door to the room. The corners of his mouth raised into an expression that’s a smile, yet not a smile. He looked on as Luo Qing Luan wished that she could kick him away in one move.
“You……”
“This prince only has good intentions. It’s better for Miss Luo to remain here and recuperate well.” After he finished speaking, he did not waste any words and straightforwardly had two maids watch her. After that, he left.
For three whole days, Luo Qing Luan didn’t leave the room. Eating, drinking, relieving herself and sleeping were all done inside her room. Even though this room prepared for her was lovely and s.p.a.cious, no matter how beautiful it was, as far as she was concerned, it was merely a golden cage. She’d tried every method. The gentle approach, the tough stance, they were all useless.
“Miss Luo, please forgive this servant. If you ran off, His Highness will break our legs.” The servant girl named Yinxing displayed a totally pleading expression, only a bit short of kneeling down before her.
“Yes. His Highness treats you so well. Never before has His Highness valued any woman like this.” The other servant girl named Qingzhu also persistently persuade her. “If word were to spread, I’m afraid a lot of people will envy you, Miss Luo. Why would you insist on leaving.”
“You guys……you guys……”
Looking at the two servant girls waiting upon her, Luo Qing Luan found it difficult to find words to express her own suffering.
Although these two were docile and obedient, sending just about anything she requested, they just simply wouldn’t allow her to leave the room. Moreover, from the start, they already told her that if she were to run away, at the very least, Nalan Ye would break their legs. At worst, he would execute them. If it wasn’t for her momentary softheartedness, Luo Qing Luan would’ve secretly slipped away.
“Fine. You guys can leave. I don’t want to see you.” For lack of a better option, she could only continue to stay in the room while incessantly cursing that Nalan Ye.
“Detestable! d.a.m.n that Nalan Ye. Where did you go off to. Not even your shadow is to be seen. If I see you, I’ll make sure to properly sort you out……”
She had not finished speaking when a familiar voice sounded. “Turns out Miss Luo misses me so much? Looks like I should’ve come earlier.” Once she turned around, Luo Qing Luan saw a smiling faced Nalan Ye. The side of his lips curved up. Looking at that ‘bad boy’ smiling expression made her teeth itch, wishing that she could slap it away and see if he could still smile.
This loathsome man, detaining her for a whole three days. She couldn’t find him when she wanted to. He finally appeared now.
Clenching her teeth, Luo Qing Luan glared at him fiercely, already on the verge of flipping out. “Where did you go?”
Even though he had not seen her for three days, Nalan Ye had never stopped receiving news about her. It’s just that when he saw her appearance, that she had already recovered her former craftiness and unruliness, acting completely unrestrained towards him, it seemed like the a.s.sa.s.sination did not leave behind any shadows on her at all. He felt relieved by no small amount.
He truly didn’t lock her up on purpose. He really was just worried.
Even if he had done some investigations on her before, it was merely limited to what’s on the surface. Only now did Nalan Ye know that Luo Qing Luan’s life was actually so dangerous. Not only did her own father, Luo Cheng, neglect her, her father’s concubine, w.a.n.g Xue Ru, even wanted to kill her. As for anyone else in the shadows who might be hostile towards her, that’s impossible to account for.
He didn’t want Luo Qing Luan to return home plagued with pain and hatred, else once the game was given away, it was very possible that those people harboring evil designs would become aware. If by chance he didn’t come to her rescue in time next time, if something really happened to her, it would truly be too late for him to regret.
He didn’t know whether it was during the first time he met her that a peculiar interest already arose in him, or if it started from that night when she cooked the special delicacy for him, or possibly……if it’s really just everytime they came in contact when he increasingly realized that this girl was interesting, so much so that sometimes, he even thought about what she might be doing.
Nalan Ye had a.n.a.lyzed everything very logically before and came to the conclusion that he was somewhat fond of Luo Qing Luan.
Was that how it was?
He gave it some serious thought before when no one was around. If he was still not certain about his feelings, why not try to interact with her and see. If he already liked her, then there was no harm in continuing.
After separating for three days, Nalan Ye met Luo Qing Luan again. When he saw that she basically already recovered to her normal state, so much so that she even could get angry at him, his heart suddenly lightened up. That helped him be more aware of something.
“Are you very concerned with my whereabouts?” With his mind relaxed, he spoke all the more freely. Nalan Ye really wanted to play with her, and couldn’t help but tease her.
She really could care less where he went. It’s just that……